Читать книгу Smoky, the Dog That Saved My Life - Nancy Roe Pimm - Страница 7

Author’s Note

WHILE RESEARCHING my book Bonded by Battle, a collection of stories about the friendships of soldiers and military dogs, I uncovered the story of Bill Wynne and Smoky. Bill and I met at a McDonald’s alongside an interstate. He told me story after story about his life, from living in an orphanage, to fighting in the war, working at NACA (now NASA), and his life as a photojournalist. I told him his story was much bigger than just the dog and the war story, although Smoky is the story within the story. This clever canine had become a war-dog hero, and most likely saved many lives. And, according to Animal Planet, Smoky is credited with being the first therapy dog. Bill believes that Smoky brought out the best in him and he brought out the best in her. Together, Bill and Smoky lifted the spirits of the sick and wounded in military hospitals, and when they returned to civilian life, they continued to visit hospitals and orphanages.

Years later, Bill and I met again. I had just finished writing The Jerrie Mock Story: The First Woman to Fly Solo around the World. I told him I should write his biography next. That’s when the e-mail came. It read, “Nancy, if you’re serious about writing my life story, let’s get started. I’m ninety-five years old.” I quickly responded to the e-mail and our almost two-year journey began. We met regularly, sometimes at his home, and other times at the Oak Park restaurant in his neighborhood. Over lunch at Oak Park, Bill shared stories with me and our always-smiling waitress, Misty Cochren. Bill’s son-in-law David Tabar joined us to record the sessions for posterity.

Much like Bill and Smoky, I believe Bill and I were destined to cross paths and find one another. After our first meeting, we agreed that finding each other felt like a “God wink.” Bill had a story to tell. And as I learned about his remarkable life story, so many little-known facts and details regarding World War II emerged. Bill and Smoky lived through kamikaze attacks, horrific typhoons, and combat. Bill credits their survival to his deep faith in God and to the many people back home in Cleveland and Pennsylvania who kept him in their prayers.

Although estimates about World War II casualties vary from fifty million to eighty million deaths, the war was undoubtedly an epic conflict of life and death. Although it was a horrific war, the goodness of humanity shone through it all. So, settle in to hear a story about a man and a dog, and how they lifted the spirits of those around them—no matter what the circumstances—one smile after another.